is it cold enough for hail here?

Well, it has been a while because power has "checked" for a week since the hail storm. Hail? yes that is right. and it was big hail, about nickle size and a lot of it. the ground was covered.

So, after my welcome cake I went to teach P4 and as i was teaching the rain started. This is common. But then i started hearing little, "ding, ding" on the tin roof and so i look out the window and sure enough there was hail coming from the sky. Since this is Uganda and we are right on the equator I figured that the kids had never seen hail before, so as a good teacher, I ceased the opportunity for learning (not playing) and let them go outside and gather some. Ha ha it was really so so funny. They would run up to me with a handful of hail in their mouth and shaking their hands to keep from frost bite and tell me, "Auntie, i have never in my life seen this ice from the sky." It was awesome. they were so excited. So i called them back in right in time because then the storm picked up and it was coming down in powerful sheets of ice and rain. Wow. In all honesty it was the most hail i have seen in one storm.

So after the main of it, we went outside again and gathered more. Then we were called to the main building where they were doing clean up of all the hail on the sidewalks. The kids had such fun getting to experience this. There was very little damage (surprisingly) at the home but the little school behind us was destroyed. it was not a structure, but more like logs stood up and covered with grass for a roof. so there were no walls, but the village kids are out a school building now. sad.

Other than that, things are still going well. I will post pictures once i have moved into my new room and can find the cord for my camera. My room is shaping up very very nicely. it is really a great place and i think i will be moving in this week. Also, i cooked chicken vegitable soup for the family on Sat. We spent half of the day walking to the market, finding what we need, and walking back. I was nervious as to whether they would like it, since it is not anythign they had had before. Mind you, it is soup, but most of them put the soup on the plate and struggled to not have the juices spill. What can i say? I had bowls sitting out there. Maybe next time i will be more specific with instructions on how to eat. But they did seem to like it.

That is it for now. I have started teaching and am organizing small groups of kids to be more specific in meeting their needs for learning how to read. Hopefully they will get used to the new system soon and it will flow.